Libel is a verse genre primarily of the Renaissance, descended from the tradition of invective in classical Greek and Roman poetry. Typically overtly political and cruder and more direct than satire, libels circulated informally in manuscript among friends and political allies rather than through formal publication, following classical precedents that ranged from anonymous Greek epigrams to the named invectives of Roman poets such as Juvenal and Catullus.
Facts
Place of OriginClassical Greek and Roman poetry, flourishing in the Renaissance 1 Notable ExampleCicero's In Pisonem, an attack on Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus 1 Defining TraitExpressly political, bolder and coarser than satire 1 FAQs
Which Catullus poem counts as a libel and why is it notable?
Catullus 16 was left out of most collections until the 20th century.
Catullus 16, written against two critics, is cited as one of his fiercer examples of invective verse. It was left out of most post-classical collections of his work until the 20th century.
Sources
1. Libel (poetry) (Wikipedia)
Opening sentence
Libel is a verse genre primarily of the Renaissance, descended from the tradition of invective in classical Greek and Roman poetry.
Classical examples section
Cicero's In Pisonem, a hyperbolic attack on Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus
Description paragraph
Libel is usually expressly political, and bolder and coarser than satire.
In Group: Satire and Parody Forms, Lead section
Libel is usually expressly political, and bolder and coarser than satire.
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